LW aircraft speed specifications

[Talisman]

http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/englis...ikov/part3.htm

The above is a link to an interesting article named

Conversations with N. G. Golodnikov

Part Three. P-39 Airacobra and Yaks

Towards the end of the conversation there is talk about the book specification speed of LW fighters, which I do not fully understand. I am no expert, but should we take the book speed of LW fighters with a pinch of salt as a result of this information?

A. S. Nikolay Gerasimovich, if you look at any reference book, the superiority in speed of German aircraft—the Bf-109G and FW-190—is indisputable. Minimum 20—25 kilometers at low altitudes and up to 80—100 kilometers at high altitudes. And you say ours did not lag behind?

N. G. No, some difference in speed always exists. At low altitudes we were a bit faster, at high altitudes they were. The difference was on the order of 10—20 km. But this difference was not so great that it ensured overwhelming superiority. In combat it was practically not discernible.

A. S. Nikolay Gerasimovich, sometime relatively long ago I was speaking with a pilot—a frontline veteran. Right after the war they flew in captured aircraft. And no matter how hard they tried, they were unable to attain the speeds the Germans had written in their specifications. The shortfall in speed was significant. In the end, they prevailed upon a German, a high-level specialist, and asked him, “Why this shortfall in speed? Are we using the engine’s capability incorrectly?” His response was that they would never achieve the target speed, because the German specifications showed the theoretical speed, and they were attempting to attain that speed on their instruments.

Nikolay Gerasimovich, in your view, is this possible?

N. G. Of course. We had a group of specialists with us from NII VVS. They were examining specifications and were looking at speed. “What speed is indicated at 7,000 meters? 780? Take away 100. And what about 3,000 meters? 700? Reduce it 70 km.” This is how they calculated the instrumented speed and, characteristically, almost always hit their target. Perhaps they knew something about our focus on speed.

Text © AndreySukhorukov
Translation © James F. Gebhardt